ULTRAMagic Interlude

Chapter 14

This time Blood-Wraith stayed for the feast. He felt obligated to do so considering it was his mission that found Rose and Thora. Things would have been perfect had Dunja not been a concern. Like it or not, he would have to drop everything if she appeared at the Iron City. It made the meal bitter sweet for him. Thankfully, realizing that Dunja was not the villain he thought she was did ease his anxiety a bit.

Everyone else was happy as clams as they ate and chatted with each other. Sigmund and Thora were the exception, as they could sense Blood-Wraith's unease. There was not much they could do for him outside of reassurances. Still, he managed to put on a smile when talked to. Sigmund felt sorry for Blood-Wraith as the boy had a lot weighing on him. It actually would have been ideal if Dunja had showed up, because then the chief could have defused some of the tension.

Later on while everyone played music and danced, Blood-Wraith spotted a hooded figure in the distance. They gave him a weird feeling, like he had seen them before. He also wondered if they were hungry since they were clearly watching the village. Quietly, Blood-Wraith went over to the leftover food and grabbed whatever he could. After filling a mug with mead, he set out for the strange person. Hopefully they would not run away... Blood-Wraith was full and not old enough to drink yet.

"Um, hey there, stranger. Want something to eat?" Blood-Wraith asked as he approached.

The stranger was startled, being woken from a nap. "What!? Who's there? Oh... uh, for me?" Notably they had a female voice that was clearly pitched shifted, as if to hide her identity.

"Yes, I already ate. I spotted you in the distance and figured you were probably hungry."

She took the food with slight hesitation. "Really? Sharp eye... Thank you." Oddly the stranger did not put her hood down.

"So, um... are you from the forest?"

"No, I just visit here to clear my head," she answered as she took a bite of the seasoned vegetables. It was hard to notice, but she did lick her lips, clearly enjoying the food. "Thank you for making it stay still, the forest I mean. It was quite the task to track it down every time..."

"You know I had a hand in that?"

The stranger took a sip of her drink. "Of course I do, Blood-Wraith... I mean, everyone knows that at this point."

"Wait, how do you know my name?"

"Word gets around easily where I'm from."

Blood-Wraith studied the stranger. It was hard to tell who she was as magic seemed to be obscuring her identity under the cloak and hood. "Mind if I get something off my chest?"

"Go ahead. I have my own share of woes after all..."

He knew he had to choose his words carefully as something was off about this stranger. "I feel icky as of late. I was hoping things would settle down after defeating The Lich of Old. I wanted time to grieve the loss of my friend, but it's been one thing after another..."

"Oh... I'm sorry for your loss. Mind if I ask who it was?"

"It was Leif, The Dragon of Old."

The stranger felt her heart ache. "How... how did he die?"

Blood-Wraith gave a faint smile. "He passed away on his own terms after we won. It was inevitable as he needed to reincarnate."

That was somewhat of a relief, but the stranger still felt responsible. "He's smiling upon you, Blood-Wraith. I can feel it."

"You can? Well, thank you. I wish I had something more happy to talk about..."

"You brought Rose and Thora home, didn't you?"